{"id":7010,"date":"2021-01-29T15:54:31","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T20:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/?p=7010"},"modified":"2021-02-02T11:16:10","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T16:16:10","slug":"california-renews-push-to-promote-environmental-literacy-in-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/2021\/01\/29\/california-renews-push-to-promote-environmental-literacy-in-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"California renews push to promote environmental literacy in schools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Author: Carolyn Jones<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published: FEBRUARY 12, 2017<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Clinton Huey\u2019s 6th-grade science class at Bancroft Middle School in San Leandro just south of Oakland, students have made their own carbon dioxide, measured the acid content of car exhaust, created greenhouse gas models from plastic bottles, charted sea-level rise since 700 A.D. and built wind generators \u2013 all in a quest to understand climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo me, this is the single biggest issue facing humanity,\u201d Huey said, referring to climate change. \u201cWe have to talk to our kids about it. We have to learn about it. \u2026 We need to educate our students to become citizens of the world, which is important if we care about what our future world will be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huey\u2019s class, and others like it around California, reflect an ongoing effort by California educators to integrate environmental education into the school curriculum \u2013 an effort that appears to be gathering momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Environmental education in California got another big push last November when the State Board of Education approved integrating five key environmental principles<\/a> into the new science frameworks last November. The frameworks provide a blueprint for introducing the Next Generation Science Standards, which the state adopted in 2013, and are gradually being introduced in schools across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The standards represent a comprehensive approach to teaching K-12 science focused on hands-on experiments, critical thinking, and multidisciplinary concepts and patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State Board also voted last year to include environmental principles in the framework<\/a> for the history-social science curriculum, which means students would learn about topics such as how humans have attempted to shape their environment throughout history, from Paleolithic times to the present, or how a healthy environment is crucial for human survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, as schools move forward with implementation of the standards, educators are hoping that a range of environmental topics related to the environment will be routinely taught in science as well as history and social studies classes, and will cover everything from habitats to water systems and the impact of deforestation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The efforts to formally introduce environmental education into California classrooms began years ago. In 2003, legislation authored by former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, mandated an environmental education curriculum<\/a>, which the State Board of Education adopted in 2010 after a laborious process<\/a> involving numerous state agencies such as CalEPA and private organizations like the National Geographic Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purpose of the undertaking, known as the California Education and the Environment Initiative<\/a>, was  \u201cto ensure all California K-12 students are environmentally literate and can help shape a prosperous and sustainable world,\u201d according to the creators, including CalRecycle<\/a>, the state agency that coordinates state recycling programs and waste management programs, and an environmental education nonprofit called Ten Strands<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The implementation of the curriculum was delayed a few years due to funding uncertainties related to the recession and other obstacles. But in 2015,  the state attempted to jump-start the process with the release of the  Blueprint for Environmental Literacy<\/a>, a detailed, 44-page document drawn up by an Environmental Literacy Task Force appointed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the task force itself noted, \u201cExisting state law contains multiple requirements for environmental literacy, which for years, have been unfunded, underfunded, or unenforced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow is the moment to elevate environmental literacy as an essential element of a 21st century education in California, and to establish the leadership, collaboration, strategic partnerships, and necessary funding to ensure environmental literacy for all California students,\u201d the task force asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The blueprint described an environmentally literate person as someone who \u201chas the capacity to act individually and with others to support ecologically sound, economically prosperous, and equitable communities for present and future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Students<\/a>
CAROLYN JONES\/EDSOURCEStudents at Bancroft Middle School in San Leandro learn about heat transference by wrapping cups of hot water in different materials.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are on the forefront of environmental education,\u201d said Gerald Lieberman, a consultant who worked on developing the environmental principles and concepts and is director of the State Education and Environment Roundtable<\/a>. \u201cBut it\u2019s not just about the environment. When people say \u2018environmental ed\u2019 they think of birds and butterflies. This is about how people live and work in the natural systems around them. It\u2019s a gigantic shift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 5-year-olds, for example, that means a science lesson may include learning where water in the faucet comes from: a system of reservoirs, pipes and pumps that might be bringing your glass of water from hundreds of miles away. For 4th<\/sup>-graders, it means incorporating analysis of the ecological impacts of agriculture, gold extraction and new cities while studying the Gold Rush and California missions in a history lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in 12th<\/sup> grade, students in a science class would study the effects of large-scale water engineering projects, or how asthma is linked to agriculture and pollution in the Central Valley as part of a unit on public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy is this important? Because ultimately our survival depends on it,\u201d Lieberman said. \u201cStudents need to have a strong basis of scientific and historical knowledge not only because of decisions they\u2019ll have to make in the future, but because of how the environment affects their daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The curriculum dovetails with Gov. Jerry Brown\u2019s broader push to put California on the forefront of fighting climate change, said Bryan Ehlers, director of education for CalRecycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"6th<\/a>
CAROLYN JONES\/EDSOURCESixth-graders in Clinton Huey\u2019s class at Bancroft Middle School demonstrate how carbon dioxide leads to global warming.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we have a more environmentally literate citizenry who more thoroughly understand the essential relationship between humans and natural systems, we\u2019re in a better position to make sustainable choices \u2013 as individuals and as a society,\u201d Ehlers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The environmental standards have triggered very little opposition, either in California or nationwide, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most states that have adopted the new science standards have kept intact the portions about climate change and humans\u2019 impact on the environment, said Ann Reid, executive director of the National Center for Science Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

West Virginia briefly inserted a few words about how global temperatures can fall, as well as rise, and that climate models might not be accurate, but after an outcry from scientists the changes were deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was an attempt to throw some shade on this area of science. But even in these very conservative states, the scientific community has been good at pushing back,\u201d she said, noting that hundreds of scientists, educators and members of the public have collaborated on creating the standards and boards are loath to accept last-minute changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In San Mateo County, the new environmental standards have been easy for teachers to implement, said Rebecca Vyduna, director of science, technology, engineering and math for the San Mateo County Office of Education. San Mateo County schools provide some of the state\u2019s most comprehensive environmental ed programs, including regular field trips to parks and science museums and an award-winning outdoor education program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the elementary level, teachers blend environmental education into nearly every other subject, and get plenty of help from local nonprofits and agencies, such as San Mateo Parks<\/a>, Pie Ranch<\/a> and the Marine Science Institute<\/a>, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost teachers want to inspire their students, and environmental education is an easy way to do that. As a former kindergarten teacher, I can tell you \u2013 you can\u2019t lose with animals,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I think kids are also naturally very interested in the environment. Where does trash go? What is a drought? We try to look at these subjects in a way that goes way beyond field trips.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Bancroft Middle School last week, Huey\u2019s 6th<\/sup>-graders were learning about heat transference as they prepared to study hurricanes and other extreme weather in the coming weeks. How heat interacts with moisture and air is a key component of weather and climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against a backdrop of national park posters on the classroom walls, the students poured hot water into cups wrapped variously with paper towels, cotton balls, bubble wrap and wash cloths, and timed how fast the water cooled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huey said environmental education has been popular with his students, but he also hopes it will contribute to students and their families making lifestyle changes and decisions that benefit the environment.  He gives his students surveys about how consistently their families recycle, save water, turn out lights when not in use and take other simple steps to help the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy hope with all this is that ultimately we can slow climate change,\u201d he said. \u201cI was so happy to see the new curriculum reflect humans\u2019 impact on the environment and climate change, especially at the elementary school level. I\u2019m hopeful we can really make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source:https:\/\/edsource.org\/2017\/california-renews-push-to-promote-environmental-literacy-in-schools\/576271<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comment: This article speaks about how to focus on an area of teaching literacy on important issues that are needed to be understood in each individual way. Rather than traditional methods of teaching which can be triggering or unable to be understood in an effective way, are taught in new and more engaging tasks. This gives a variety of methods to help in learning and gaining your individual communication technique. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Author: Carolyn Jones Published: FEBRUARY 12, 2017 In Clinton Huey\u2019s 6th-grade science class at Bancroft Middle School in San Leandro just south of Oakland, students have made their own carbon dioxide, measured the acid content of car exhaust, created greenhouse gas models from plastic bottles, charted sea-level rise since 700 A.D. and built wind generators \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":7011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7010","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-focus"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7010"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7049,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7010\/revisions\/7049"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}